Houston Rap Pioneer O.G. Style Dies

XXLMAG.com has learned that Eric “O.G. Style” Woods, a pioneer in the Houston, TX hip-hop scene, passed away late last night (January 3) from a sudden brain aneurysm. Woods was hospitalized on Wednesday night, at which point his brain began to hemorrhage, and he slipped into a coma. He was kept on life support until late Thursday. He was 37 years old at the time of his death.

Woods made an impact on the Houston scene when he became one of the first acts signed to Rap-A-Lot records. In the late ’80s, when Woods was known as “The E,” he teamed up with producer Big Boss (who also died in late 2006 from kidney failure) to form a group called O.G. Style. Their 1991 Rap-A-Lot debut I Know How To Play ’Em hit the Billboard chart at #68 and spawned the national hit “Catch ’Em Slippin’,” establishing both members as valuable faces on the budding local scene. Soon after, Big Boss left to form a new group called 4Deep, and Woods retained the name O.G. Style for himself. Recently, Woods had returned to rap, independently releasing I Still Know How To Play Em in 2000 and Return Of Da Game in 2005.

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never heard any of his music but 37 god damm thats a young man to pass away. R.I.P

Hip Hop 4 Life

dang….

all of the sudden h-town rappers dying…
RIP…

Rodjilius

dam the music is dieing and so are the people with it never heard of him but RIP

beatz23

Its that lean man I’m tellin you..

TheUltimate

I agree that it’s the lean thing. It seems that all the Texas rappers/producer stay dying of “natural causes.”

tampa gooon

4 real. that mutha fuckin syrup they sippin that shit aint healthy. i cant even name all the rappers from the h that passed. pimp c fat pat big hawk the legendary dj screw big moe(even tho he was at a very unhealthy weight sort of like pun) and its more. i know sum niggas in huston is hurtin

http://www.myspace.com/3rdstreetent 3rd Street Entertainment

don’t speak on them niggas if u don’t know nothin about it…tired of out of town folk actin like they know what houston is about just cause they hear them bullshit swisha house niggas talkin about somethin. 2 of those niggas were shot to death and another had a medical condition….i’ll let u find out who fits with what on ur own…maybe u’ll learn somethin.

http://WWW.GRINDFAMILY.COM YUNG TWEEZY

I REMEMBER 4 DEEP. IT WAS ONLY 3 OF THEM AND THE FOURTH MEMBER WAS SAPPOSE TO BE A GUN.

ive heard of him ive heard his music most people dont know bout sum of da way old skool dirty south rappers kuz they werent really put out there like they are now or rappers that were from da east or west at that time but damn how kum every1 dies man diz aint kool 4 real

SCOTTYO

LAST DAYZ . PAY ATTENTION . HOUSTON HAS HAD 10 RAPPERS DIE IN 1 YEAR ALL UNDER 40. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

http://www.myspace.com/3rdstreetent 3rd Street Entertainment

last days? u sound like a dumb ass

http://www.theunderwriters.blogspot.com THE UNDERWRITER

Houston, we have a problem…

*Not trying to diss. I’m just saying…*

SCOTTYO made a good point. Atlanta hasn’t seen this type of thing happening. I’m not going to suggest or allege that it’s the lean, but what is it?

37 is crazy. That’s scary as hell.

But like Ziggy said, I’ve never heard of him before today. Which is pretty fucked up if he’s the O.G. that XXL says he is.

http://www.hip-hopkings.com Stu

RIP

Too young to die.

Blu

Houston is hurting right now, but as a personal friend of Eric I can testify that his untimely passing was not from any complications of drinking LEAN. That wasn’t OG’s Style…he didn’t sip and was considered to be a pretty healthy dude. His blood pressure problems were something that had been pre-existing for a while. Take a look at Matt Sonzala’s blog HoustonSoReal for a deeper look into the very REAL health issues that are striking a whole new generation of hip hop heads.

YungRaekwon

R.I.P.

tae-day Deniro

Damn houston losing alot of rappers RIP to all of them

BIG DO DIRTY

houston has so much hip hop history between rapalot and suave house that is ridiculous. houston sound did’nt start with the screwed up sound. they started doing gangsta music. there has been 4 set of geto boys. there was a group before eightball & mjg that recorded the original mr. big. their sound is really a mixture of houston and memphis. crime boss was gonna be the first artist to record with 2pac when he first got out and so on and so on. rapalot and suave house are both the pioneers of the south rap game.

http://www.myspace.com/3rdstreetent 3rd Street Entertainment

houston shit be4 Screw didn’t have the known houston sound…the ghetto boys didn’t and still down rap anything like dudes after Screw

http://ogstyle.net Karen aka Feral

As a close friend of Eric’s it has been incredibly difficult dealing with his passing.
As you can imagine, it has been even more difficult for his family.

I am so very grateful to those of you that have taken the time to honor him with such wonderful tributes and I want you to know how very much it means to his family, especially his boys, to read them and see the outpouring of love and respect for their father.

It saddens me to read some of the comments left behind by individuals that obviously did not know Eric. The stereotypical speculations as to the “real” cause of his death are truly heartbreaking to those of us who knew him.

While not broadcast to the general public, his family and close friends know that Eric has struggled with high blood pressure for several years now. He had been given a myriad of medications in attempts to bring it under control, but none were ever truly successful in keeping it down.

I know that some of you find it difficult to believe that a young, hard working, dedicated hip-hop artist can simply die of natural causes. But the truth is, it can and does happen. His death was not “lean” related, or from any other “stereotypical” cause. It was a stroke, brought on by high blood pressure, which is, unfortunately, a common killer of African Americans. View the stats on The American Heart Association website. Check the facts and have your own blood pressure checked.

As for the REAL 411 on Eric “OGStyle” Woods, as the opening line of his bio states, “OG Style is not your average rapper…”. He was a good friend, a loving father, a hard working, dedicated man that did NOT sip “lean” or even drink alcohol. He wasn’t perfect, or a saint by any means, but he surely wasn’t “stereotypical” or “average” or of seedy character.

From the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul I ask that you please refrain from speculating in these open forums and know that there are family and friends that visit these sites who have truly lost someone near and dear to them. We are reading these tributes to him, with heavy hearts, thinking of how very wonderful it would have been if Eric could have lived long enough to see them.

Its tragic enough that we’ll no longer see his smiles, hear his laughter, get caught up in his excitement over a new beat or project, listen to him go on about some new electronics gadget or video game…please don’t make us have to suffer through post after post of absolute nonsensical rhetoric about “lean” and the likes. That simply wasn’t OG…ever.

Eric, you will be missed…and loved…always

http://www.ogstyle.net Kay

I met you at the hospital Thursday night. Thank you for that write up. It couldnt have been more real. I hope that you are well….please stay in touch!

Janice Ayers-Perry

Feral, i know you probably don’t remember me but we spoke over the phone in 2002 when i first moved up here with for a change. Please let Shellie know that I just heard the news yesterday and my heart & prayers are with her and her family. I’m glad you made a heartfelt attempt to snuff out the rumors of him participating in the use of “lean” because that was not his style at all. God bless & keep you through this trying time. I haven’t heard any news on the services so if possible please let me when they are scheduled so that i can pay my last respects.

for people not from H-town, don’t get it twisted, er’ body down here ain’t sippin lean like dat, real talk…

let the truth be told, sippin’ syrup or drank for years was an ole’ school head high until the SUC (Screwed Up Click) really put it out there like that…oh the SUC is the crew started by Robert Davis b.k.a DJ Screw (now he died cause of the lean)

OG Style used to jam and most of you never heard of them because they were signed to Rap A Lot and back then Lil J wasn’t really pushing the label and it’s artists like that… it was a side hustle if you get my drift…

http://www.pimpinpens.blogspot.com triplesixninja

RIP OG STYLES

http://myspace.com/koofilms KOO-ROD

I am so sorry bout my mis spellings and f@#k ups i am not alright to tell da truth i been there from day one, and never got on da radio or nothing cuz i am still and forever be dealing wit the death of both my brothers, the reason i am on here da NET cuz i am a nightowl and i am as they thought me never to stop thinking dew for self, i’m da one that always had the 4th member of 4-DEEP on da koo what it dew true “G’s” were “E” & BIG BOSS……….KOO-ROD & KLAS’ ONE of 4-DEEP

Me

I loved you like a brother Eric, I’ll miss you!!

http://houstonhiphop.com barKode

Life come and goes, but he man left behind the music he loves, that lasts forever…

Space City lost another one of it’s finest.

much respect from all of us at Houstonhiphop.com

The PeoplesChamp360

Damn,thats shitty,ya’ll dont know shit about rap music…this dude was one of the realest peeps on the scene back in 91. If everyone here has heard “I Miss my Homies” off of Master P’s Ghetto D,”Freeworld” is where pimp c borrowed that beat from yet it was never mentioned in the insert that is why still to this day he is unknown,but what he did for rap-a-lot will still be remembered by all the O.G.’s

ThePeoplesChamp360

Fat Pat didnt die from sippin lean,he was murdered,damn does anyone research anything?

http://newsgroupvideos.blogspot.com Tiffany Mccall

You’ve done it once more! Amazing post.

http://videoaircrew.blogspot.com Ellen Crosby

Heh I’m honestly the only comment to this incredible read!?

http://www.youtube.com/moneyrulesfilms KOO ROD of 4DEEP

MANN u will never be forgotten ‘E’ everyday i miss u and BIG BOSS,to help guide me. Sometimes i feel lost but i just remember the good & fun times we had on the road and at home.. R.I.P. “E” & BIG BOSS

Tracette

“E” was a friend of mine, we went to school together. R.I.P. “E”!

Trace…

greg ford

he was my best friend growing up on west gray at his grangma house back when he was on stone records going to class at gregory-lincoln play football for dale it fun my nig i miss you dude if didnt grow up in 4th you dont eric woods my boy my friend r.i.p. much eric see you in heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!